32,000 posts vacant in health sector

Some 32,000 posts at the different levels of the health sector in the country remained vacant, 6,500 of those for physicians, as healthcare services for the people proved shockingly inadequate.
Director General of Health Services Prof Dr Shah Monir Hossain disclosed the figures of vacancies yesterday while addressing a roundtable titled 'Tuberculosis control programme: Present context and future plan' in the city.
Health Directorate, The daily Jugantar and Brac jointly organised the discussion at Brac Centre.
Senior journalists from print and electronic media and government and NGO officials took part at the discussion.
Speaking at the function, the director general of health said the government has already taken initiative to gradually increase the manpower through giving appointment to the vacant posts. “Some 4,500 posts of doctor are vacant at the entry level alone.”
About tuberculosis, he said TB is an old disease and people could not get hundred percent free from this disease due to various circumstances. “There are some economic, nutritional and environmental causes for TB in the country.”
Monir stressed involving the media people along with other government and non-government agents to successfully fight tuberculosis and other diseases across the country.
“Illiteracy is our great weakness. We can't make success in the TB programme as hardly 30 percent of patients report to the health centres concerned,” he told the function.
He said the mass media could play an important role in creating awareness among the people and encouraging them through reports and programmes about the treatment and causes of tuberculosis.
Senior journalist Ataus Samad said the government should directly interact with the newspaper editors for giving focus on tuberculosis and they should be involved in combating the disease by fulfilling their commercial demand.